Former US President Donald Trump refused to directly answer a question about whether he spoke to Vladimir Putin after leaving the White House. But he added that if he did, it would be a “smart thing.” He also said that the United States' allies “deceive it” more than its enemies.
During Tuesday's meeting at the Economic Club of Chicago, Trump was asked about reports of his secret conversations with the Russian leader. – I'm not commenting on it, but I will say that if I did, it would be a smart thing to do. If I have friendly relations with people, if I can have good relations with people, that is a good thing, not a bad thing. He has two thousand nuclear warheads and so do we, Trump said. – There has never been a president whom Russia respected so much – he added, referring to himself.
When Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait, who conducted the interview, said his response sounded like an acknowledgment that he had been in talks with Putin after leaving the White House, Trump repeated that he would not comment.
Trump was supposed to talk to Putin after his presidency ended
Journalist Bob Woodward, known for uncovering the Watergate scandal, reported Trump's secret telephone conversations with Putin in his book “War,” published on Tuesday. He referred to one of Trump's advisers who stated that the current Republican candidate in the fight for the White House was to talk to Putin privately “up to seven times” after the end of his presidency.
He also claimed that, while still president, Trump secretly sent COVID-19 testing machines to Putin for his private use. The Kremlin confirmed the story about the equipment, but denied that Putin and Trump maintained contact after he left the White House.
Trump's response Tuesday differed from that of his staff, which immediately said Woodward's stories were “made up.”
During Tuesday's event, Trump repeatedly clashed with a Bloomberg journalist, including over the planned tariffs that Trump wants to impose on all imported goods if he wins in November. When the interviewer said that most economists, including those interviewed by the conservative Wall Street Journal, believed Trump's plans were pro-inflation, he replied: “What does the Wall Street Journal know? They're wrong about everything. You Too”.
Trump also claimed that US allies such as the EU and European countries are “deceiving them” more than their enemies. – They, these European countries, cheat us in trade so shamefully. Moreover, they deceive us in military matters (…) and we support them. This is unsustainable. We cannot continue doing this, he stressed.
Main photo source: kremlin.ru